Since the signing of the Matthew Sheppard and James E. Byrd Act, Elke Kennedy and her husband have been asked to help the FBI with the roll out training in the state of SC during a first meeting in Columbia, SC last year. Since then, Sean’s Last wish attended and has been part of 5 sessions so far . Tuesdays meeting featured US Attorney General Bill Nettles who was speaking about what the new law means and answered questions in a Q and A session.

For the last 3 1/2 years, Sean’s Last Wish has been pushing continuously for changes in the law and the need for hate crime legislation through educating the public about the gaps. If anybody wants to join Sean’s Last Wish to help organize additional sessions in the state, please contact Elke at elke@seanslastwish.org

Two marines were arrested in Savannah Georgia after assaulting gay man

Greenville, SC – Today, in the early morning hours a gay am was attacked and beaten until he was unconscious in Savannah Georgia by two marines who are stationed at the Marine Corp Air Station in Beaufort, South Carolina.

The victim required CPR twice before getting to the hospital. The two marines were charged with a misdemeanor – assault and battery an released to the military.
It makes you wonder what state of mind these two marines have,how the feel about gays in the military and the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT).
Our military personnel is trained to defend our country and all of its citizien without bias.
These two marines used their training to beat an innocent young man unconscious. So how can this only be a misdemeanor charge when deadly weapons/force was used?

As the mother of a gay man who was murdered in 2007 because he was gay, I am outraged at he charge!
This must be thoroughly investigated without bias and the FBI needs to investigate this alleged hate crime.

Georgia is one of the five states that don’t have hate crime protection laws. However, there is now federal hate crime law in place that allows the FBI to come in and assist this alleged hate crime based on sexual orientation a without bias.
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Greenville, SC – Elke Kennedy and her husband James Parker received an invitation from the Human Rights Campaign and the White House today to attend this historical event at the White House in Washington DC on Wednesday, October 28th 2009 at 4:45pm
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Elke and Jim are honored to represent the LGBT community in memory of their son Sean Kennedy, who was the victim of a hate crime on May 16th 2007 in Greenville, SC.

Sean’s Last Wish foundation considers this a privilege to be the voice and represent the LGBT community as we continue to fight against hatred, bullying, violence and religious bigotry.
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Greenville, SC – Elke Kennedy was informed via Phone today, July 1st 2009, that Stephen Andrew Moller has been released from prison. Mr. Moller was responsible for the murder of her son Sean Kennedy on May 16th 2007. He was indicted for only involuntary manslaughter and sentenced on June 11 2008 to a 5 year sentence suspended to three years, received credit for the 199 he served in county lock-up. He was supposed to stay in prison till September 7th 2009, however he received 2 month credit for good behaviour by getting his GED while in prison.
He was eligable for early parole on December 28th 2008 already. In a early parole hearing on February 11 2009 he was denied parole and his release date was set to July 7th 2009.

Again the judicial system failed they say one thing and do something else. He should have served every single day of the already short sentence, instead he was released from prison today, one week early.

Greenville, SC – Elke Kennedy was informed via Phone today, July 1st 2009, that Stephen Andrew Moller has been released from prison. Mr. Moller was responsible for the murder of her son Sean Kennedy on May 16th 2007. He was indicted for only involuntary manslaughter and sentenced on June 11 2008 to a 5 year sentence suspended to three years, received credit for the 199 he served in county lock-up. He was supposed to stay in prison till September 7th 2009, however he received 2 month credit for good behaviour by getting his GED while in prison.
He was eligable for early parole on December 28th 2008 already. In a early parole hearing on February 11 2009 he was denied parole and his release date was set to July 7th 2009.

Again the judicial system failed they say one thing and do something else. He should have served every single day of the already short sentence, instead he was released from prison today, one week early.

We have wonderful news this month! A generous offer has been made to match every dollar donated to Sean’s Last Wish between now and September 1st ! Now, more than ever, every contribution can make a huge difference as the foundation continues to touch hearts and lives.

Elke and Jim continue to work on behalf of everyone who is interested in bringing attention to the ever increasing need for hate crime legislation, as well as education on bullying, violence, hatred and religious bigotry. The foundation seeks to offer alternatives to young people to avoid senseless crimes like Sean’s murder. We ask that you consider your financial support as Sean’s Last Wish works to support our common goals

Elke and Jim were on the road most of April with a visit to Albany, NY to attend a premier of the movie ‘Fagbug’ produced by Erin Davies. The premier was followed by a question and answer session. The questions were quite pointed and hearts were touched. Elke also spoke at Siena College in Albany with Erin Davies.

While in New York City, Elke met with Cindi Creager from GLAAD. There was in depth discussion as to the best way to keep hate crime awareness in the public eye. There will be ongoing dialogue with a number of organizations in New York with the ultimate goal of Sean’s Last Wish partnering with other organizations. It is in working together that we will maximize our effectiveness.

Elke also met with the Anti Violence Project in New York City. They offer a crisis hotline for the LGBT community. The foundation will explore the feasibility of working with other organizations in South Carolina in partnering with the Anti Violence project.

Elke and Jim next had a productive series of meetings in Washington, DC with members of the Human Rights Campaign, including Joe Solmonese. These meetings lasted a full week, culminating in Clergy Call, an ecumenical gathering of representatives from 48 states. Elke and Jim represented the state of South Carolina. Clergy Call was then followed by Lobby Day on Capitol Hill, during which Elke and Jim also represented the state of South Carolina. We believe there will be future partnering opportunities with the Human Rights Campaign.

During the week there were a number of meetings with South Carolina legislators or their representatives, including Senator DeMint and Lindsay Graham’s office. Even though their views on hate crime legislation differ from our own, a heart is disposed to change when a mind is opened by respectful dialogue.

In Washington, Elke and Jim also met with the PFLAG National Headquarters to discuss how to foster more effective chapters in South Carolina.

Elke will speak to the Charlotte Business Guild Tuesday evening, June 16th.

Sean’s Last Wish will have a booth at Pride Charlotte July 25th. Elke will be one of the featured speakers.

Again, we ask you to partner with us as the foundation looks ahead to new campaigns such as ‘Break The Silence’. More information on this outreach will be coming soon.

It is in working together that we make our own contribution towards breaking the silence. One of the ways you can help is in partnering with Sean’s Last Wish by offering your financial support as Elke and the foundation continue the work each of us knows is so vital.

Please take a moment to consider at what level you maybe able to support the foundation. Every donation helps, no matter how large or small. You can make your pledge or donation at the Sean’s Last Wish website. Remember, each donation until September 1st will be matched dollar for dollar.

Always feel welcome to contact Elke for any information or to offer your volunteer support. May we continue to work as one in the cause we know is so vital.